不成

bùchéng
verb HSK 6 #15,483

Meanings

  1. 1 won't do; unable to succeed
  2. 2 (rhetorical) could it be that...? / or what?

Characters

Cannot become/succeed - won't do, or used as a rhetorical question tag.

Examples

HSK 2
Nǐ hái xiǎng ràng wǒ bāng nǐ bùchéng?
You're not expecting me to help you, are you?
HSK 4
Lián zhè diǎn xiǎoshì dōu zuò bùchéng.
Can't even manage such a small thing.
HSK 6
Nándào tā hái xiǎng làizhàng bùchéng?
Could it be he's trying to welch on the debt?

Tips

grammar
不成 at the end of a sentence is a rhetorical question tag, similar to English 'or what?' / 'you think?' It expresses disbelief or mild challenge. Pattern: statement + 不成
usage
As a complement, 不成 = unable to accomplish, 不成 = unable to handle. As a sentence-final particle, it adds a challenging or incredulous tone.

Stroke Order

chéng